1. Field of the Invention
This invention attached to a conventional wheelchair assists in the transfer of health care facility patients in and out of wheelchairs and in and out of bed. Wheelchairs equipped with the Lift Device for wheelchairs are also useful for elderly and handicapped people in their homes. Health care professionals, such as nurses, find the Lift Devise for Wheelchairs reduces the strain of lifting when transferring patients.
2. Description of Prior Art
Hospitals and Convalescent Care centers use wheelchairs that are stressful both to the patient in the wheelchairs and to the nurses or persons doing the lifting of the patients being transferred. These transfers from the conventional wheelchair can be dangerous to the nurses or persons doing the transfers as well as being dangerous to the patients. The health care personnel has to do all the lifting and guiding of the patient which causes back injures to the person doing the lifting. There is a possibility that the patient might be dropped injuring both the patient and the person doing the transferring. Improvements in conventional wheelchairs are insufficient.
Several types of lift device chairs have been granted patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,022 inventor:(Geraci)-1990. This chair has a lift apparatus requiring physical strength and effort from the occupant in the chair. Generally, people in wheelchairs do not have the strength required to operate this chair and will not work with paraplegics or quadriplegics. The power for the lifting action is the physical strength of the occupant of the wheelchair. The scissor action of this wheelchair could cause injury to occupant of this chair in open space on the arms of chair. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,156 inventor:(Fortner)-1990. This is a standing lift and support for wheelchair user. The frame of this chair is not self contained within the wheelchair. Occupant of this chair must be semi-mobile to put the sling on. Once the occupant is standing up the occupant must bend down to disconnect frame from chair. Many wheelchair users are not stable enough to go though all of the procedures involved in this chair. This chair also requires a turning crank which requires physical effort. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,616 inventor:(Booth)-1985. The seat motion of-this chair raises the occupant up to eye level with another standing person which provides confidence of the patient but does not help the occupant to move out of the chair. Nor does this chair help medical personnel transfer patient from chair to other destination. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,249 inventor:(Deucher)-1978. This chair is potentially dangerous when the footrest is removed as there is nothing to stabilize the chair when it is in erect position. The back block can cause discomfort for the occupant of the chair. Most people with restricted mobility would have difficulty operating this chair. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,804 inventor:(Houston et al)-1978. This chair is a combination wheelchair and walker apparatus. It is not a walker but rather a vertical motorized wheelchair. The metal plate at the footrest location prevents it from being a walker. PA1 (a) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs is designed to assist care givers in lifting and transferring of patients. PA1 (b) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs is very convenient for both care givers and patients, more so than conventional wheelchairs presently used. PA1 (c) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs prevents injuries to care givers' backs because the Lift Device for Wheelchairs does the lifting of patients rather than being lifted by the care givers. PA1 (d) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs eliminates the possibility of injury to patients by reducing chances of care givers dropping patients. PA1 (e) The safety features of the Lift Device for Wheelchairs will reduce injuries both to patients and care givers which will reduce lawsuits and decrease Workmen's Compensation and Public Liability insurance premiums. PA1 (f) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs has safety arm rests to insure that hands or fingers will not be injured while Lift Device for Wheelchairs is lifting the patient. PA1 (g) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs reduces the apprehension caused by patients' fear of being dropped and care givers' fear of dropping the patients. PA1 (h) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs also provides the same safety features for home care patients as well as those patients in health care facilities. PA1 (i) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs can be independently operated by semi mobile patients to move freely about his/her surroundings because the Lift Device for Wheelchairs puts such a person in a standing position. PA1 (j) The Lift Device for Wheelchairs can be used as therapy to strengthen circulation in dysfunctional limbs. PA1 (k) Convalescent patient's are prone to having calcium deficiencies which can cause bone fractures in transfers made with conventional wheelchairs. Transfers made with the Lift Device for Wheelchairs reduces the possibility of such bone fractures. PA1 (l) Elderly people have thin skin which can tear very easily in transfers made with conventional wheelchairs. Transfers made with the Lift Device for Wheelchairs reduces the possibility of such skin tears occurring.